New Zealand’s newspaper chiefs’ views on how the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill works is somewhat at odds with the text of the Bill. Google today, admirably, said they’ll stop linking to New Zealand news outlets in search if the Bill goes ahead. News Publishers’ Association’s Andrew Holden and Stuff’s Sinead Boucher aren’t happy about that. But…
What planet are they on?
What planet are they on?
09 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, law and economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights, survivor principle Tags: creative destruction, legacy media
A lot
04 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of media and culture Tags: economics of languages
Against personal definitions
02 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of information, economics of media and culture, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, property rights Tags: economics of languages, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
An argument against the use of personal definitions of words can be framed around the concepts of communication efficacy, shared meaning, and societal cohesion. 1. Undermines Effective Communication The primary purpose of language is to facilitate clear communication between individuals. Personal definitions of words undermine this goal by distorting the shared meaning that allows people […]
Against personal definitions
The woke to a tee
30 Sep 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, liberalism, Marxist economics, movies, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, television Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
“A Better Deterrence”: Hillary Clinton Calls for the Arrest of Americans Spreading Disinformation
18 Sep 2024 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economics of information, economics of media and culture, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, television Tags: 2024 presidential election, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Hillary Clinton has long been one of the most anti-free speech figures in American politics, including calling upon European officials to force Elon Musk to censor American citizens under the infamous Digital Services Act (DSA). She is now suggesting the arrest of Americans who spread what she considers disinformation. It is a crushingly ironic moment…
“A Better Deterrence”: Hillary Clinton Calls for the Arrest of Americans Spreading Disinformation
Australia Introduces Legislation to Outlaw Disagreeing With the Government
17 Sep 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, economics of media and culture, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia Tags: free speech, media bias, political correctness, regressive left
As Australia approaches its next cycle of state and federal elections, the radical Aussie Federal Government is pushing laws which could silence media criticism of their key policy positions.
Australia Introduces Legislation to Outlaw Disagreeing With the Government
Love the backpack
14 Sep 2024 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of media and culture Tags: creative destruction

Serious scamming
30 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, economics of media and culture, law and economics Tags: law and order

Rowling Reportedly Sued by Olympic Boxer Over Gender Criticism
24 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of crime, economics of education, economics of media and culture, gender, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - Australia, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, property rights Tags: Age of Enlightenment, British politics, free speech, political correctness, regressive left

We have previously discussed the cancel campaigns targeting JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Rowling was not only the greatest selling author of all time but a wildly popular writer until she publicly opposed certain transgender policies as inimical to the advances in feminism. Now, she is the target of a lawsuit […]
Rowling Reportedly Sued by Olympic Boxer Over Gender Criticism
Google’s strategy of search engine user lock-in
22 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture, economics of regulation, industrial organisation, politics - USA Tags: competition law
The Financial Times reported earlier this month (paywalled):A US federal judge has ruled that Google spent billions of dollars on exclusive deals to maintain an illegal monopoly on search, in a landmark win for the Department of Justice as it seeks to rein in Big Tech’s market power…The ruling follows a weeks-long trial in which…
Google’s strategy of search engine user lock-in
When Did We Start Getting Cavities?
22 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of media and culture, health economics
Rabbit and horse too if there were a zombie apocalypse
20 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of media and culture

The Anti-Science left
15 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of media and culture Tags: Age of Enlightenment, Anti-Science left, conjecture and refutation, free speech, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
Why I have resigned from the Research Association of New Zealand
10 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of information, economics of media and culture, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
I (and Curia) have just resigned as members of the Research Association of New Zealand. It is something I never thought I would do, and do with great sadness. I have been an enthusiastic member of the industry body. I joined in 2004 when I formed Curia Market Research. It was an honour to be […]
Why I have resigned from the Research Association of New Zealand
Roots of Climate Change Distortions
08 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in comparative institutional analysis, economics of bureaucracy, economics of education, economics of information, economics of media and culture, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA, population economics, Public Choice Tags: climate alarmism

Roger Pielke Jr. explains at his blog Why Climate Misinformation Persists. Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images. H/T John Ray Noble Lies, Conventional Wisdom, and Luxury Beliefs In 2001, I participated in a roundtable discussion hosted at the headquarters of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) with a group of U.S. Senators, […]
Roots of Climate Change Distortions



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